Hi, this is a question regarding my thesis and to whether I should frame is as a case study or an action research thesis.
In my educational technology thesis (including Human-Computer Interaction as well), I have developed a participatory design process for educational systems in the refugee context based on the literature from (refugee studies, motivation and engagement, design processes, and participatory design approaches and methods).
My design process consists of stages (understanding and relationship building, problem analysis, participatory design, implementation, and evaluation) where each stage has a set of sub-tasks that need to be completed with suggested methods. Then I have implemented the design process in two case studies in two refugee camps in order to evaluate and improve the design process based on the collected data.
I must note that the research methods and the research approach are very participatory at all stages where NGO workers, teachers, parents, and even children participated in the decision making of the designed systems.
My main research questions were regarding what is an effective design process in this context of displacement, what are the design challenges that would be faced and how should they be managed, and finally, how can technology be designed in the future to be most effective in emergency education of refugee children.
My questions is that: should my thesis frame my field work as a case study research, or as action research, since I was introducing an action (the design process implementation) and looking to evaluate, confirm, and improve my literature based design process from real-life data.
Do you have any suggestion to which is the most suitable case study or action research?
Conventional University still do not understand the Case Study method.
Hi, both methods can be used together e.g. a case study of an action research initiative. Your implied action research approach is PAR, but you haven't indicated the extent to which the refugees are involved in the design process.
For example, if you are setting out the process in the sub-tasks but allowing little input by participants to change what you have done, then it might be better as a case study without the action research, but if the participants will work through the process with you to develop and improve it then this might qualify for PAR - I don't see enough detail in your query to determine this yet.
I would say your approach is phenomenological and therefore your research methods are multi-methods. Your brief does not permit me sufficient insight to suggest that you are positively in the Anthropological realm of Extended case method / Situational Analysis / Actor-oriented analysis. Nor does it look that your Approach is truly Action Research as it not participatory enough and your research field would make clinical Action Research insensitive. I would like to recommend that you do a bit of reading into the relationship between ontology, epistemology and methodology. That ought to help you understand your choice of research methods.
Thanks for the many helpful answers,
I must note that the research methods and the research approach are very participatory at all stages where NGO workers, teachers, parents, and even children participated in the decision making of the designed systems.
I have added this to the question so it help others participate in the discussion. Michele O'Sullivan Mark Trevor Marais
Hi George, I agree with the responses of Michele and Mark. Given your own extension to the question I now would say: it is action research in two different cases.
I used both Action Research and case study methodology for my doctoral thesis which is attached below. The chapter 3 methodology write-up explains how I used case study and Action Research together. I found they fit very well together. I particularly found the case study methodology as described by Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg helpful. He is also here on Researchgate.
Thesis An analytical tool to aid the reflective selection of equity...
action research and case study are not mutually exclusive, and you could frame it as an action research case study, or more correctly action research comprising 2 case studies (is there some comparative analysis here?). A key feature of action research, in addition to its participative focus, is that it starts with a pre-understanding of the situational (and perhaps theoretical) pre-understanding, and is then enacted in dual/parallel spirals of cycles of Diagnosis, Planning action, taking action, and evaluating or reflecting on action (action you want to implement with the participants first) and the second spiral relates to your research (again, diagnose, plan, act, and review/reflect) (see Coghlan & Brannick,Doing action research in your own organisation). Add an experiential cycle to test what's going on with participants -v- your own assumptions. The case study approach sits well with this, but you still need other methods to draw your research and action together into the story and meaning you convey through your case study. There are a few different approaches to action research and you'll have to find one that suits your own approach if that's what you want to do.
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